So you can kind of see why Apple has done this. And it's not the first, but it's well up there with the other pioneers. According to expresscard.org there are just 20 laptops supporting Expresscard format. However, three years on from the development of the standard the world is hardly brimming with Expresscard devices: there are just 6 memory cards, 1 memory module, 2 TV tuners, 6 "interface modules" and 1 smartcard reader that have passed PCMCIA's ExpressCard Compliance Program.

When are the mobile networks, or rather the people who manufacture their cards going to catch up? Good question. I've asked them all and only had one reply yet, from Unwired which uses Navini technology, and it's not really on the Navini roadmap right now, which is hardly surprising. I'm not holding my breath for the others either.

However there is a hope of another solution. Expresscard.org suggests that "in the future, we may see adapters that allow the use of older PC Card products on systems without a PC Card slot through both the ExpressCard and USB interfaces."

I would have thought the window of opportunity for such adaptors is right now, before the PC card manufacturers evolve their products to Expresscard format. Maybe it's too hard, maybe there is insufficient demand.

In short, it's clearly really early days for Expresscard and I reckon Apple have gone too far out in front this time. In the Windows world if you want old fashioned PC card slot you have vast choice. In the Apple world you don't.

You can buy a new Intel machine o,r if you want a PC card slot, a G4 PowerBook. But there are now only two G4 models available: a 12 inch and a 17 inch. For me the 12 inch is too small the 17 too big, so I'm off to eBay for a second hand machine.{moscomment}